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satellite51 t1_itdcvyi wrote

ENA is not "a best university", it's basically a specialized school to be in the highest ranking public service careers tracks. One usually goes there if they pass the entrance exam, which is usually taken after obtaining at least a masters level degree.

The other ones on the list are business schools and engineering schools. I would say the "best" one here being polytechnique (engineering school). The entrance exam is merit based (maths and physics), but there is a socio-cultural bias as to who ends up succeeding (ie your parents taught you the right priorities during you schooling, and knew how to give you the best opportunities, which is obviously easier if they went through the process themselves.).

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antiquemule t1_itdr6yu wrote

"The other ones on the list are business schools and engineering schools."

Apart from the ENS which has produced nine Nobel prize winners in Physics and Chemistry. And a few more in economics and literature.

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r0b0d0c t1_itesi9m wrote

I always thought that Sorbonne was the French equivalent of Oxford. But then I see that the acceptance rate is 100%. So what gives?

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satellite51 t1_itfh091 wrote

It's equivalent mostly in terms of cultural significance (historical university etc..) . It's still one of the best university in France in terms of reputation and name recognition for a "university". Grandes écoles form a parallel track that gathers the best students due to a very selective and tough entrance process (2 years of intense preparation). Universities can still have great programs and do great research (and really smart students who didn't want to do the Prépa), but there is a certain little extra for having gone to a grande école.

Now, apart from some programs at specific universities, there is not much difference in universities in France at undergraduate level, acceptance is high because getting the French baccalaureate (high school diploma) guarantees access to universities. With the new system it might not be your first choice program, though before that meant basically a 100% acceptance rate at undergraduate level (this needs to be updated). Selection happens throughout the course as people drop out or fail exams. The stats were quite telling before.

Also, because there is not much difference between unis, people tend to go to whatever was closest to home for undergraduate studies.

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Creep2Crazies t1_ithbn21 wrote

When it comes to elitism and "excellence", the Oxford equivalent would likely be the ENS Ulm, at least for the 20th century. Sartre, Derrida, Foucault, de Beauvoir, etc, all come from there.

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